Decades of uninterrupted political power almost always exacts its cost – usually in something that could look like corruption.

A background feeling that everything is not quite right back at the ranch was presumably a factor in Labour’s devastating losses in last month’s council elections.

Despite these losses, the party managed to hang onto control of Rhondda Cynon Taf – the gap the opposition parties had to bridge was just too much.

Former Wales Secretary Peter Hain (he who surely used to don a plumed hat) argued that his party’s ability to hold onto that council proved that the party was improving massively.

I have previously doubted that claim. And yesterday’s Rhondda Leader has a report which raises another considerable doubt. Indeed, raises the possibility of a stench flowing from the council offices.

The paper reported that Public Services Ombudsman Adam Peat has condemned the council for its failure twice to take scheduled action against two developers of a pair of houses over their failure to complete drainage work.

Two neighbours had complained this failure “caused damage to their property, and much stress and frustration”.

A small planning matter ? Not too small if it resulted in damage.

Why no action ? Could that because one of the developers was an enforcement officer in the council planning department ?

Mr Peat says the council “should have been vigilant in ensuring that accusations of favouritism could not plausibly be made”. As it wasn’t, financial compensation is recommended – paid for byRCT’s ratepayers.

My trip to buy the Rhondda Leader took me into a former mining village where it was pretty obvious that not everything was going swimmingly under Labour control. Finding my destination was not easy – no street name-plates adjoined the main road. And none on the estate itself, either, which was itself in rather a poor state. An RCT council estate, of course.

Plenty of bus-stops if I wanted to leave. But not a single timetable. The failure of many valley councils to care a damn about the passengers was one of the main reasons why the Assembly government still has on its books the ability to hand the entire local transport issue to regional transport executives.

On the basis of the failure in RCT (and equally so in several adjoining authorities), Cardiff Bay should perhaps dust off that policy.

Turning the pages of the Rhondda Leader, I was glad to note the Editor was broad-minded enough to give columns to TWO of his local politicians (a welcome acknowledgment that Rhondda is no longer a one-party fiefdom; rare, indeed, is the editor who will extend beyond just one politician).

The columns were rather different in tone. For a politically-radical valley in bad need of much improvement, Plaid’s Leanne Wood spoke out for change, for instance blaming much flooding on decisions to allow building on flood plains.

In stark contrast, Leighton Andrews, the constituency AM, stuck to handing out plaudits – about Wales being the first Fair Trade nation, plus a near-press release about incapacity benefit and jobs.

Very worthy, no doubt. Should Mr Andrews get concerned about this comparison, might I point out that his other abilities would no doubt make him an excellent minister. And I could name two of the present incumbents who should shift over.